Solar Wind Creates Electric Charge on Martian Moon Phobos

NASA has set its sights on the Martian moon Phobos as a potential initial base for human exploration of the Red Planet — but powerful solar eruptions could throw a wrench in this plan.

A new NASA study shows that solar wind — the stream of electrically charged particles that the sun blows out into space — creates a complex electrical environment on Phobos, which could possibly affect astronauts and any scientific equipment brought to the irregularly shaped moon in future missions.